1955 Blackwell, Oklahoma tornado
 F3 to F5-level damage on the eastern part of Blackwell, Oklahoma. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 25, 1955 |
| F5 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Max width | 400 yards (0.23 mi; 0.37 km) |
| Highest winds | 261 to 318 mph (420 to 512 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 20 |
| Injuries | 280 |
| Areas affected | Tonkawa, Oklahoma, Blackwell, Oklahoma and South Haven, Kansas |
Part of the 1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak and Tornadoes of 1955 | |
During the late evening hours of May 25, 1955, a large, extremely violent, and deadly nocturnal F5 tornado struck the city of Blackwell, Oklahoma, killing 20 residents. Part of a larger tornado outbreak across the Great Plains, the Blackwell tornado was the first of two F5 tornadoes that occurred during the outbreak.
Meteorological synopsis
During May 25, a maritime tropical (mT) air mass pushed northward through Oklahoma, covering the entire state by 6:30 P.M. At that time, a low-pressure area was situated over the Oklahoma Panhandle.[1] The lifted index value was between -9 and -11 in Oklahoma and Kansas.[2] Scattered thunderstorms occurred throughout the day in western Oklahoma, with damaging winds and hail reported.[1] Earlier in the day, an F4 tornado had killed two people.[3] Two separate severe weather warnings were issued in the area in the afternoon.[4] However, due to technology at the time, TV stations showed no indication of the impending danger.[5] The supercell that produced the Blackwell tornado was first spotted on radar north of Oklahoma City at around 6:50 P.M. It would produce the Blackwell tornado at approximately 9:00 PM, before going on to produce another F5 that would devastate the town of Udall, Kansas, later in the evening.[1]
Tornado summary
The tornado touched down at approximately 9:00 PM CST in Noble County, just west of Marland.[4] Initially remaining in mostly rural areas, the tornado crossed Oakland Road just to the east of Tonkawa; although no reported tornado damage was done in the city, baseball-sized hail was reported in the area as the tornado missed the town.[4]
At exactly 9:27 PM CST, the violent core of the tornado ripped into the eastern half of Blackwell. The damage path spanned between 300 and 400 yards wide and included approximately 80 residential blocks and over 400 homes. Many of these homes were totally leveled, with some being swept off their foundations. The tornado also dealt a devastating blow to the town's primary economic drivers, obliterating the Acme Foundry and severely ruining the Hazel-Atlas Glass plant. 20 people were killed by the tornado, with all of these fatalities being in Blackwell.[6]
After crossing into Sumner County, Kansas, the tornado lifted abruptly; however, the parent supercell soon produced a second, much deadlier F5 tornado that tore apart much of Udall, Kansas, killing 80 people.[4]
Aftermath
After the tornado, due to heavy rainfall in the town after the tornado it was hard to find survivors. Not only that but the tornado hit almost all of the towns local telephone lines, water mains, and power grids. It was late at night so survivors used car headlights and flashlights to dig up trapped survivors. 30 minutes later, another violent tornado would form near Udall, Kansas
Legacy
The "supernatural" part of the tornado
As the tornado tore through Blackwell, survivors claimed they saw a dark blue light illuminating the middle of the tornado. There are many theories as to why this occurred, with the most likely theory being that it was a form of St. Elmo's fire.[7]
See also
- 1955 Udall tornado - The tornado that formed after the Blackwell tornado
- List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
References
- 1 2 3 Staats, Wayne F.; Turrentine, Charles M. (1956-12-01). "Some Observations and Radar Pictures of the Blackwell and Udall Tornadoes of May 25, 1955". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 37 (10): 495–505. Bibcode:1956BAMS...37..495S. doi:10.1175/1520-0477-37.10.495. ISSN 0003-0007.
- ↑ "North America Tornado Cases 1950 to 1959". bangladeshtornadoes.org. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ↑ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak and Blackwell Tornado of 25-26 May 1955". preview.weather.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- 1 2 3 4 "The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak and Blackwell Tornado of 25-26 May 1955". Associated Press. May 25, 1955.
- ↑ Sommerfeld, Rachel (March 1, 2015). "A Tale of Two Twisters: Udall and Greensburg". KSN. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
- ↑ "Tornado damage. Blackwell, Oklahoma". Associated Press. May 25, 1955.
- ↑ "Electrical theory of tornadoes". Associated Press. May 25, 1955.